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Overview

Every day can be an adventure. Especially if you bring balloons.

Ever wondered what it would be like to ride a carousel right off its platform? As Emma discovers, all it takes is a handful of balloons and a very kind polar bear to show you the way. This soaring story of friendship, between a carousel bear and the little girl who noticed him, will take readers to the arctic and back—in time for bedtime, of course—and remind them anything is possible. Even flying.

Product Details

About the Author

Lindsay Ward is fascinated by the way the world looks from above and has always wanted to write a story with a little magic. Add to that the fact that her parents actually met painting carousel animals, and it’s clear that Please Bring Balloons is a story she was meant to write. Born and raised in California, Lindsay received her BA from Syracuse University. She is now a cut-paper artist living and working in Peninsula, Ohio.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Now a Huffington Post Honorable Mention for Best Picture Book of 2013!

"A fantastic adventure." - The New York Times

"It's a gentle story of everyday magic, with artwork that should keep readers coming back." - Publishers Weekly

"With balloons and a carousel taking center stage, this nocturnal fantasy will provide a pleasurable lift for young audiences." - Kirkus Reviews

"Ward combines prints of maps and colorful paper to lend a whimsical and jaunty air to the pair’s nighttime escapade." - School Library Journal

"Cut-paper collage illustrations, which include maps and algebraic equations, play against a starry night sky, creating a beautiful backdrop for a flight of fancy. Little kids, balloon and carousel lovers one and all, will enjoy this magical romp from the creator of When Blue Met Egg." - Booklist

Editorial Reviews

Ward, a cut-paper artist, gives her book great visual appeal with snippets of colorful origami paper, calendars and maps.

The New York Times Book Review - Sarah Harrison Smith

09/23/2013There’s an inherent magic to carousels, and Ward makes good use of it in a story that begins with a cryptic note and ends with a dance party. Ward draws her redheaded heroine Emma as an older elementary schooler: she’s independent enough to walk to school by herself, but still willing to “play along, just in case” when she spots a note peeking out of a carousel polar bear’s saddle; it reads “Please bring” next to a picture of a balloon. The next day, Emma ties one to the bear’s saddle. Another note follows (“Please bring more!”), which results in a magical midnight flight to the North Pole on the polar bear’s back. As in When Bird Met Egg, Ward uses a variety of patterned papers to lend texture and a whimsical sensibility to her painted cut-paper scenes, from the pale Arctic maps that form the North Pole landscape to the graph paper, handwriting worksheets, and musical notation that make each dancing polar bear an individual. It’s a gentle story of everyday magic, with artwork that should keep readers coming back. Ages 3–5. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Now a Huffington Post Honorable Mention for Best Picture Book of 2013!

"A fantastic adventure." - The New York Times

"It's a gentle story of everyday magic, with artwork that should keep readers coming back." - Publishers Weekly

"With balloons and a carousel taking center stage, this nocturnal fantasy will provide a pleasurable lift for young audiences." - Kirkus Reviews

"Ward combines prints of maps and colorful paper to lend a whimsical and jaunty air to the pair’s nighttime escapade." - School Library Journal

"Cut-paper collage illustrations, which include maps and algebraic equations, play against a starry night sky, creating a beautiful backdrop for a flight of fancy. Little kids, balloon and carousel lovers one and all, will enjoy this magical romp from the creator of When Blue Met Egg." - Booklist

From the Publisher

09/01/2013PreS-Gr 1—The opening lines of this story will grab the attention of anyone who has ever felt the thrill of finding a hidden note. Emma is suspicious of a carousel polar bear's ability to write a note, let alone ask for a balloon, but she plays along, "just in case." What happens next requires even more balloons and a trip into Emma's imagination as she and the polar bear are lifted into the night sky toward the North Star. When they land, Emma is grateful that she is wearing her red snow boots. She and the bear scale icy mountains, trudge through deep snow, and (on a double gatefold) encounter polar bears partying. Ward combines prints of maps and colorful paper to lend a whimsical and jaunty air to the pair's nighttime escapade. Finally, the two travelers sail home and Emma gets tucked into bed, only to wake up and find "everything as it always was." When she returns to the carousel, she finds another note, asking for something even more surprising. While the story line labors over the dream/reality transition, readers will appreciate the ending. Emma's adventure would make an interesting prompt for imaginative writing.—Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, OH

School Library Journal

2013-08-15With balloons and a carousel taking center stage, this nocturnal fantasy will provide a pleasurable lift for young audiences. When Emma passes the polar bear on the merry-go-round, she notices a message tucked into his saddle: The titular request includes text and a drawing, so pre-readers can help decipher its meaning. On her way to school the next day, the red-haired protagonist affixes a red, polka-dot balloon to the bear's pole. Returning in the afternoon, she finds a second note requesting more. After the bountiful bunches are attached to the animal, the pair is carried aloft through the sunset and the stars until they reach the snowy Arctic and, in a double gatefold opening, the "polar bear rumpus." Lined paper, spattered night skies, and washes of white paint over maps and algebraic equations infuse Ward's cut-paper, pencil and watercolor collages with texture and interest. Her brilliantly hued days contrast with the midnight blue journey and return home. The plot comes full circle when a new message is found. Although this has a stronger storyline than the author's When Blue Met Egg (2012), a book that felt like a vehicle for collages of New York City, Ward's dramatic arc is weak, and the voice needs stylistic development. Enjoy for the subject matter and design, search elsewhere for heart and character. (Picture book. 3-5)

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